The present invention relates to a hand strap for a portable apparatus and a structure for mounting the same. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a hand strap mounted on a handy phone for allowing the user of the phone to easily hold or carry the phone while preventing the user from dropping the phone by accident, and a structure for mounting the same.
A hand strap for use with a handy phone or similar portable apparatus has been proposed in various forms in the past. One of conventional hand straps is implemented by a relatively wide strip having its opposite ends connected together to form a loop. A hand strap taught in, e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-10031 can be adjusted in length, as desired. In any case, the user of the apparatus holds or carries the apparatus by putting one hand in the loop. The hand strap additionally serves to prevent the apparatus from being dropped by accident.
However, the conventional hand straps have some problems left unsolved, as follows. Because it is troublesome for the user to put his or her hand in the loop of the hand strap, the user, in many cases, directly grips the apparatus and is therefore apt to drop the apparatus. The hand strap implemented by a relatively wide strip has a fixed length which sometimes does not match the size of the user's hand, resulting in uneasy operation. The hand strap with a variable length is disadvantageous in that when its length is reduced, the long excess portion hangs down and not only obstructs the user's operation, but also degrades the appearance of the apparatus. In addition, both of such conventional hand straps need an additional loop on the apparatus and a connecting portion which would obstruct the user's operation.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 58-139402, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Nos. 60-970 and 61-1876, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 5-218884, 8-10030, and 8-274852.